Memory Trap
by vinterthunder
Summary: What will happen when the Senshi and Shitennou meet each other again? But this time only one of them have the complete memory of the past.
1. Chapter 1: After the storm

Disclaimer: The characters are from Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi. The picture is also from her manga.

—  
>Everyone rejoiced. They had their normal peaceful lives back again. The darkness was over. Everyone was starting to get used to their regular (non-fighting) routine again. Everyday was filled with smiles and laughters.<br>No one had said anything about the Shitennou. It was like a forbidden word in the group now. No one wanted to be the one stirring up the pains in everyone's heart while they were just starting to have normal lives again. That was until one day.

It was a Friday after school, Minako and Rei were already sitting at the Crown Fruit Parlor waiting for their friends. A few minutes after ordering their teas, they spotted Ami, Usagi and Makoto entering the parlor. The three walked over to join them. A moment later, Mamoru came.

"Hi everyone!" Mamoru greeted the girls  
>Usagi smiled and rushed over to hug him.<br>"I miss you, Mamu-chan."  
>"Come-on, Usagi. Your friends are right here"<br>Rei responded nonchalantly "Don't worry about it, Mamoru. After seeing Usagi sacrificed her life for you, a little public display of affection is no big deal."  
>Minako looked distracted after hearing what Rei said.<br>"We're just glad that you two are happy." Makoto chimed in.  
>"Hey, I wasn't just sacrificing myself for Mamo-chan. I was trying to help everyone, too, you know." Usagi defended herself.<br>"Ok ok, enough teasing. How are you, Mamoru?" Minako asked.  
>"I'm ok. The school is pretty hectic but it was nothing compared to fighting with Metallia." Mamoru answered.<br>"So … have you heard anything about the Shitennou?" Minako dropped the bomb.

Everyone was in shocked. Silence took over the moment. Nobody expected Minako to bring it up. They all expected Mamoru to mention the Shitennou at some point, but they didn't want to talk about Mamoru's Generals who might or might not be revived.  
>Ami whispered to Minako "Shh, Minako, you shouldn't talk about that."<br>Mamoru said "That's ok, Ami. Actually, I'm surprised no one has brought it up sooner."  
>"We didn't want to …" Makoto paused<br>"hurt me?" Mamoru managed to finish the sentence.  
>"Yeah. They are your generals, after all." Makoto continued.<p>

Artemis suddenly popped up out of nowhere with Luna. Artemis sit between Minako and Mamoru.  
>"And they betrayed you." Artemis said to the group.<br>"Artemis, you know very well that they were controlled by Beryl and Metallia. What happened was not their true nature." Usagi defended the shitennou.  
>"Still. We know nothing about their reincarnations. We don't even know why they were reborn in the first place. Who revived them? If Metallia revived them, then what is their purpose after Metallia is gone?" Artemis posted the question.<br>"You're right, Artemis. The truth is I don't know what happened to them." Mamoru said with a sad look.  
>"The Silver Crystal revived all of us. Wouldn't it revive the Shitennou, too?" Usagi asked the group.<br>"I don't think it's that simple, Usagi. The Silver Crystal revived all of you because you were parts of the Moon Kingdom. You all have purpose here in this lifetime. We don't know about the Shitennou." Luna explained.  
>"Mamoru, you are their Master. Do you have some ideas about their reborn?" Minako kept pressing.<br>"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Minako. But I really have no idea and I feel terrible because they sacrificed their lives for me, twice, already. And yet I know nothing about them now." Mamoru lamented.  
>"It's not your fault, Mamoru. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I'm just … curious. That's all." Minako said to the group.<br>"Do you all remember them? You know from the Silver Millennium?" Mamoru asked.

All four girls looked at each other and nodded slowly.  
>"Then if they are reborn again, they should remember us. Let's hope that we will them again…soon." Mamoru said and looked at Usagi who smiled back at him.<p>

Mamoru's prediction is not entirely correct, but yes, they will meet again, very soon.

Disclaimer: The characters are from Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi. The picture is also from her manga.

—  
>Everyone rejoiced. They had their normal peaceful lives back again. The darkness was over. Everyone was starting to get used to their regular (non-fighting) routine again. Everyday was filled with smiles and laughters.<br>No one had said anything about the Shitennou. It was like a forbidden word in the group now. No one wanted to be the one stirring up the pains in everyone's heart while they were just starting to have normal lives again. That was until one day.

It was a Friday after school, Minako and Rei were already sitting at the Crown Fruit Parlor waiting for their friends. A few minutes after ordering their teas, they spotted Ami, Usagi and Makoto entering the parlor. The three walked over to join them. A moment later, Mamoru came.

"Hi everyone!" Mamoru greeted the girls  
>Usagi smiled and rushed over to hug him.<br>"I miss you, Mamu-chan."  
>"Come-on, Usagi. Your friends are right here"<br>Rei responded nonchalantly "Don't worry about it, Mamoru. After seeing Usagi sacrificed her life for you, a little public display of affection is no big deal."  
>Minako looked distracted after hearing what Rei said.<br>"We're just glad that you two are happy." Makoto chimed in.  
>"Hey, I wasn't just sacrificing myself for Mamo-chan. I was trying to help everyone, too, you know." Usagi defended herself.<br>"Ok ok, enough teasing. How are you, Mamoru?" Minako asked.  
>"I'm ok. The school is pretty hectic but it was nothing compared to fighting with Metallia." Mamoru answered.<br>"So … have you heard anything about the Shitennou?" Minako dropped the bomb.

Everyone was in shocked. Silence took over the moment. Nobody expected Minako to bring it up. They all expected Mamoru to mention the Shitennou at some point, but they didn't want to talk about Mamoru's Generals who might or might not be revived.  
>Ami whispered to Minako "Shh, Minako, you shouldn't talk about that."<br>Mamoru said "That's ok, Ami. Actually, I'm surprised no one has brought it up sooner."  
>"We didn't want to …" Makoto paused<br>"hurt me?" Mamoru managed to finish the sentence.  
>"Yeah. They are your generals, after all." Makoto continued.<p>

Artemis suddenly popped up out of nowhere with Luna. Artemis sit between Minako and Mamoru.  
>"And they betrayed you." Artemis said to the group.<br>"Artemis, you know very well that they were controlled by Beryl and Metallia. What happened was not their true nature." Usagi defended the shitennou.  
>"Still. We know nothing about their reincarnations. We don't even know why they were reborn in the first place. Who revived them? If Metallia revived them, then what is their purpose after Metallia is gone?" Artemis posted the question.<br>"You're right, Artemis. The truth is I don't know what happened to them." Mamoru said with a sad look.  
>"The Silver Crystal revived all of us. Wouldn't it revive the Shitennou, too?" Usagi asked the group.<br>"I don't think it's that simple, Usagi. The Silver Crystal revived all of you because you were parts of the Moon Kingdom. You all have purpose here in this lifetime. We don't know about the Shitennou." Luna explained.  
>"Mamoru, you are their Master. Do you have some ideas about their reborn?" Minako kept pressing.<br>"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Minako. But I really have no idea and I feel terrible because they sacrificed their lives for me, twice, already. And yet I know nothing about them now." Mamoru lamented.  
>"It's not your fault, Mamoru. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I'm just … curious. That's all." Minako said to the group.<br>"Do you all remember them? You know from the Silver Millennium?" Mamoru asked.

All four girls looked at each other and nodded slowly.  
>"Then if they are reborn again, they should remember us. Let's hope that we will them again…soon." Mamoru said and looked at Usagi who smiled back at him.<p>

Mamoru's prediction is not entirely correct, but yes, they will meet again, very soon.

-


	2. Chapter 2: You look familiar

At the Chess tournament competition.

Ami is a regular competitor at the international chess competition. She is among the best in her age group. This time the competition is in Tokyo. She's excited to have all her friends seeing her at the competition as well. This is the first competition that Ami will have the support of her senshi fellows. Chess has always been a way for Ami to think about things, at least that's what she tells herself. The competition has always been just another thing that she excels at. But this time, she will have her friends' support, and there will be someone to cheer her on and celebrate with her when she wins. This seems a lot better than an isolated lonely victory she has have in the past.

Ami is sitting at the lobby of the hotel holding the competition. She's just checking in the hotel. Even though, the competition is in her hometown, it's still much better for her concentration to stay at the hotel where the competition takes place. Although, she's a bit worried that her friends may get her distracted a bit, but Ami believes that it will be an encouraging distraction.

The automatic glass doors open, a lean blonde boy walk in with the competition organizer.

Ami thinks to herself, _He looks familiar. _

The organizer of the event quickly calls Ami.

"Good morning, Mizuno. It's great to have you at our event."

"The pleasure is mine. Thank you very much hosting the event." Ami answers.

"Oh, Mizuno. This is Zachary Sato. He's a middle school student from Germany. He's the current champion of the European division this year. Sato, this is Mizuno Ami, the national champion from last year."

"Nice to meet you, Mizuno. I've heard a lot about you. I'm looking forward to seeing you play." He says and extends his right hand for a handshake.

"Likewise" Ami answers as she shakes his hand.

When their hands touch, Ami feels a flash of memory, which makes her pause for a second.

_He is Zoicite. I know it._ Ami thinks.

"For some reason, I feel like I've known her before. But from where?" Zac thinks.

Zac slowly walks away while looking at Ami and says "See you in the tournament, Mizuno."

_Does he not remember?_ Ami wonders. In her heart, she knows it has to be hime. But her analytical mind tells her that it's far more likely that she's just meeting someone who happens to look like hime. After all, the odds of meeting a stranger whose look's like General Zoicite is far far greater than meeting the real him again.

_I probably need a good sleep before the competition._ Ami shrugs and enters the elevator to go to her room.

At the semi-final match, Ami is playing against Knut, a middle school student from Norway.

Zac is watching Ami against his friend. He is always meticulous about studying his opponent before the game. And since whoever wins this game will face him in the final, there's no way he's going to let the opportunity to study his final opponent get away.

_She's pretty good, isn't she? _Zac thinks.

_Why do I feel like I've seen her playing style before?_ He tries to search for an answer. As a person who extensively studying everything he's passionate about, he's sure that he knows all the major playing styles. He can't seem to figure out why Ami's chess-playing style feels so familiar to him.

Ami is making smart moves one after another. Knut begins to feel nervous as he's trying to think of strategic moves to beat Ami.

Zac notices how much trouble Knut is in. Zac has played against Knut several times. He even lost to Knut once. Zac is obviously surprised that this girl can easily corner Knut within 7 minutes into the game.

_She really is amazing. _Zac thinks.

Zac gets the nudge to predict Ami's next moves. It's something he normally does when he's watching the game, anyway.

Moves after moves, Zac finds himself surprised at how accurate he could predict her moves.

_I've definitely seen her playing style before. Or have I played with her before? But that's impossible. I've never met her and her strategy is too unique. It can't be that she's just imitating someone's._

"Checkmate" Ami says quietly but with a beam of excitement.

"The winner of this semi-final is Mizuno Ami. Congratulations." the MC announced. Ami and Knut shake hands.

"For the final of the middle school division, Mizuno Ami will be facing our current champion, Sato Zachary." the MC continues.

Ami and Zac both look at each other for a moment. Zac gives Ami his usual cunning grin. He can't wait to play against her. Not only she's a fantastic player, but he also can't shake off the feeling of having seen her play before. Maybe playing with her in the final will give him some clues. Curiosity has always been one of his whims, and the puzzle he feels with this girl will never elude his mind.

"Will see you in the final, mysterious girl." Zac whispers to himself.

Ami catches Zac grinning at her, she smiles back a little but she looks at him with conflicting feeling.

_I guess you don't remember me._ Ami thinks.

_But maybe that's for the best._

—

The day before the final match, Ami is sitting at a cafe nearby the tournament venue. Zac is walking back from meeting his grandparents and seeing Ami through the window and decides to go in.

"May I sit with you?" Zac sees that she's reading but decides to interrupt anyway.

"I'm sorry, I -" Ami was going to tell him off, but she looks up and sees Zac. Obviously, she's stunned.

"_Zoicite" _Ami can't forget the fact that this guy looks so much like Zoicite that she keeps referring to Zachary as Zoicite.

Ami quickly recovers herself and smiles back.

"Yes, please." Ami says to Zac.

"Thank you. I hope I'm not interrupting." Zac says while he's pulling off the chair and sits down.

_Way to go, Zac. Asking a stupid question. She's reading, duh." _Zac can't help but feel like an idiot. How could he say stupid things like that. He's smart. He knows better than this.

"That's fine. I was just about to take a break anyway." Ami puts down her book and takes off her glasses.

"You look nice with glasses." Zac compliments her as if it's the most natural thing in the world to say.

Ami blushes a little.

"Don't get me wrong. You look great without them too. But when you're wearing them, you seems so - captivating" _Wait, why did I say that? _Zac's surprised at himself. He's usually a natural-lady man. Just dropping a compliment is a second nature to him. Why did I have to cover it up?

"Thank you" Ami says with a smile.

Zac didn't say that for him captivating actually means sexy, but he knows he can't say that to a girl he just met. Not a smart girl like Ami anyway.

"Are you prepared for tomorrow?" Zac asks.

"I think I am , but with chess, you can never be too sure. The unexpected happens."

"And that's the beauty of it." _Same as you. _Zac thinks.

But then he's surprised at himself again. He's never met Ami before. How does he know she often do the unexpected? Surprising at his own thoughts, Zac looks a little confused and spaced out.

"Are you ok?" Ami asks

Zac gets back to the present and says "Sorry I spaced out a little."

"Don't worry about it. We, chess players, always do that. We are just thinkers. We think and analyze everything. It's just who we are." Ami replies.

Zac chuckles "I couldn't agree more."

Zac signals to the waitress and order a tea.

"You were really good the other day. How long have you been playing chess?" Zac starts his inquiry.

"I've been playing with my father and his friend since I was little. My father moved away when I was ten but his friend still invites me to play chess with him from time to time." Ami explains. "He's Adrian Redford."

"The legendary chess player Adrain Redford? No wonder you're so good. You've learned from the best." Zac exclaims.

"Yes, I'm so grateful to learn from him. But to be honest, at that time I wasn't really thinking about excelling in chess. I was just trying to keep the memories of my father. I feel like I'm somehow playing with my dad whenever I play with Mr. Redford."

_Why did I tell him this? I don't usually tell people something so personal, maybe Usagi as an exception, but that's about it. Let alone a stranger she's just met a few days ago. _Ami wonders and regrets saying that for a second but then she decides to let it go. For once, she's going to trust her feeling and do what she feels like doing.

"How about you, Sato? When did you start playing chess?" Ami asks

"Please call me, Zac."

Ami gives a small nod and smiles.

"I actually just started a few years ago. I felt like I needed to sharpen my thinking, so I joined the chess club at school. Well, to be honest, my dad was nagging me to play sports. He was a little worried because I just stayed home or at the library reading all the time. So I joined the chess club. And I told him, it's a sport too. We have clubs, training, tournaments and everything just like any other sports." Zac says humorously.

"And your dad was ok with that?" Ami laughs softly.

"He wasn't so thrilled in the beginning but my mom said it's ok because at least I got to meet new friends and get out of the house." Zac says with a chuckle.

"I think my parents were worrying the same thing about me when I was little. But then my dad's always away from home and my mom's busy at the hospital so they were just happy enough that I got good grades." Ami says with a hint of sadness.

"You think your parents don't care about you." Zac ventures a guess.

Ami's surprised at how insightful his comment is.

"Hmm, maybe. Sometimes I feel like I'm not important enough to them. That's why they're always working. So I'm trying to be independent and study hard so they don't have to worry." Ami explains.

"You're very strong, Mizuno." Zac comments. _She looks strong and independent but at the same time, I can feel the vulnerable side of her, like she's a frozen lake that it's surface may crack at any moment. I feel that she keeps her appearance cold and keeps a maelstrom underneath ._

"What were you reading, Mizuno?" Sensing that she's feeling sad, Zac changes the subject.

"Call me Ami" She's a little shocked at herself again for letting him call her by her first name. Maybe the trusting nature of Usagi is rubbing off on her.

"I'm -" She paused because she can't exactly tell him that since she met him a few days ago, she has been thinking about Zoicite. So she borrowed a book on stones from Mamoru as if reading about Zoisite, the stone will make her think of, the Zoicite the shitennou, less.

"My friend's researching on stones and minerals so I'm helping him." Ami managed to find a plausible excuse.

"Mineral stones are fascinating, aren't they? I even have one with me." Zac says and then shows his necklace.

"It's Zoisite. My grandfather gave it to me when I was young. Even though he was a grandfather from my dad's side, he was nothing like my dad. My father's always tough and macho, and he's kind of disappointed that I'm not like him. But my grandfather always tells me that it's ok to be who I am. My grandpa thought it was great that I read and think about things. He said that I am different but I will do great things one day, and he gave me this stone to remind me of that." Zac explains with fond memories of his grandfather.

_So he may have some memories from the past, but it doesn't seem like he remember much. He remembers bits and pieces, maybe? At least I'm happy that he still has Zoicite the shintennou in him._

"So Ami, which stone do you like most" Zac asks curiously.

"What?" Ami snapped out of her thoughts and has a puzzling look.

"You're researching stones, right? There's gotta be one you like more than the others." Zac asks

"Hm, I think Zoisite is fascinating." Ami replies.

Zac grins as he hears Ami's answer.

"Your Japanese is very good, Zac." Ami tries to change the subject.

"Thank you. My father is Japanese so I try to perfect it as much as I can." Zac explains

_Perfect it. That does sound like him. _Ami ponders as she recalls her past life memory of the general Zoicite.


	3. Chapter 3: Curiosity

At Silver Millennium

Now that all the senshi have found out about their princess's escape to meet prince Endymion on earth, they have decided that they had better learn more about this planet. All four senshi decided that each of them will take turn accompany their princess to earth, and while they were there, they will learn more about this sapphire planet that their princess loves so much.

Today's Mercury's first time to accompany princess Serenity.

"What should I prepare for this trip, Venus?" Mercury asked.

"There's nothing to prepare really." Venus answered.

"The planet looks….quite…uncivilized." Mercury said.

"It looks like that in pictures, but it actually is a lot more sophisticated than in the books, Mercury. I've already talked to General Nephrite, he will have someone accompany you to see the earth's arts and cultures. You'll be surprised to see how far they have come." Jupiter chimed in.

"Well, I will just have to go there and see. If you two don't think I need any special preparation, I'm off then." Mercury said and hurriedly rushed to see princess Serenity.

—

"Princess, I will be back to pick you up before dawn. Please take care of yourself. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact me." Mercury said to Serenity.

"Don't worry, Mercury. I'm safe as long as I'm with Endymion. I can also contact you telepathically if anything urgent happens. Our telepathic communication works just as fine on earth as on the moon." Serenity reassured her worried guardian.

"I'll be off then." Mercury bowed to Serenity and Endymion.

"General Zoicite is waiting for you in the hall. He'll accompany you tonight." Endymion said to Mercury.

Mercury nodded and walked into the hall where she met General Zoicite.

"You must be Sailor Mercury. I'm General Zoicite." Zoicite greeted her.

_You look a bit polished for a general. _

"Your spoken Lunarian is flawless, general." Mercury said.

"Coming from you is very flattering, but I'm still learning. I'll be honored if you can teach me more sometime." Zoicite said with a smile.

_I hope that's just a formality. Is this the way people talk here? _Mercury wondered.

"I've been told that you are the most intelligent senshi of the Moon Kingdom. I suppose you will be interested in learning more about Terran's cultures." Zoicite asked.

"No need for flattery, General. And yes, I'm very much interested in learning more about Terran's cultures."

"Very well then. We shall move to the Grand Hall of the palace then." Zoicite suggested.

"What's in the Grand Hall?" Mercury asked.

"Well, you'd better see it yourself, Sailor Mercury." Zoicite answered with a proud smile.

—-

"Welcome to the best collection of Terran arts". Zoicite said and gestured Mercury into the Grand Hall.

Mercury couldn't hide her excitement when she saw the splendid hall with endless beautiful paintings and sculptures.

"With the risk of bragging, I have to say that most of the arts here are from my land." Zoicite said with pride.

"Your land?" Mercury asked curiously.

"Here in Terran, besides the Central land here, there are four other lands; West, East, South and Far West. Each land is unique and together with the Central land, we become the Middle Kingdom." Zoicite explained.

"You're saying that most of these arts are from your land, correct?" Mercury asked.

"Yes, the West."

"Your people are very impressive, General."

"Where I come from we take great pride in being the best in arts and cultures, as you can see here in the Grand Hall. Perhaps you will be interested in going to the West to see the original place where all these magnificent arts were born? I'd be happy to take you there."

"Thank you for the generous offer, General. Maybe some other time." Mercury answered.

They both walked around the Grand Hall. Zoicite explained each piece of arts to Mercury one after another.

_The culture on Earth is a lot more impressive than I thought. Jupiter wasn't lying. This is really impressive. Some pieces are even better than ones on the Moon. _Mercury thought.

"Next I will take you to, what I guess will be your favorite, the Palace Library." Zoicite said to Mercury.

She almost jumped with excitement. _How did he know that I loved libraries? Is it that obvious to read me? _Mercury wondered.

They walked into the Palace Library. Mercury exclaimed with amazement when she say thousands and thousands of books stacked neatly on well-carved shelves, right from the floor up to the ceiling, which is easily four or five-storied tall.

_This is maybe twice, no, three times larger than the largest library in the Moon Kingdom. _Mercury thought.

Zoicite saw Mercury's excitement and said with a huge smile "Here on earth, we like to learn, Sailor Mercury. There are countless things to observe and learn here; plants, animals, people, stars, mountains, you name it. And we like to write things down to pass on to the next generations."

Mercury couldn't help but feel at home at the Terran Palace Library. She loves the Moon Kingdom, but there is a part of her feeling that the Moon lacks the spirit of inquiry and thirst for knowledge. It's almost too peaceful on the Moon that sometimes it's not interesting and challenging enough to satisfy her intellectual curiosity.

"Would you mind if I look into some of the books?" Mercury asked.

"Of course not, Sailor Mercury. That's why I brought you here." Zoicite responded with kindness.

—

Zoicite and Mercury ended spending hours in the Palace Library. Mercury would look at the books and asked Zoicite questions. He explained and then she asked more. They discussed things for hours and hours.

_I've never felt so alive like this in a long time. _Mercury thought. _This place is really fascinating. _

Zoicite looked at the sky brimming with a light ray of sun. "It appeared that the dawn has come, Sailor Mercury. I should return you to Princess Serenity."

"Of course. Thank you very much for accompanying me tonight, General." Mercury thanked him.

"I really hope I can learn more about Terran culture, General. It's fascinating. Thank you for showing me the knowledge and culture of your people." Mercury said as they walked back to see Endymion and Serenity.

"The pleasure is mine, Sailor Mercury. And may I add that your Terran reading is fantastic. You had no problem understanding Terran writings at all." Zoicite complimented her.

"I'm a book nerd, General. I learn things from books. I learned Terran from books, so my reading is pretty good. But I haven't had the chance to practice my spoken Terran." Mercury smiled at him.

"Until now?" Zoicite smiled back.

Mercury smiled "Yes, until now. How did you learn spoken Lunarian, anyway?".

"Well, everything can be perfected, Sailor Mercury, if we think it's important enough. I have the feeling that Lunarian will be useful someday. And I was right." Zoicite said.

"That doesn't answer my question, General." Mercury said with a smile.

"Lunarians and Terrans may be forbidden to communicate freely, but knowledge knows no boundaries, Sailor Mercury. It will make it way to you if you are seeking." Zoicite explained.

_Now I really need to know more about you. _Mercury thought as they both reached the garden where Endymion and Serenity were.

"Thank you very much again for tonight, General. I had a great time." Mercury said and gave a small bow.

"You're welcome. I had a great time as well, Sailor Mercury. I hope we will meet again some time." Zoicite answered and bowed back.

Sailor Mercury smiled as she and Serenity teleported back to the moon.

"Looks like you had a great date, Mercury." Serenity said.

"A date? It was not a date, princess. It was a formal state visit." Mercury hurriedly denied.

"Well, you usually don't keep smiling when you come back from state visits." Serenity teased.

Mercury realized that she had been smiling and put both her hands on her cheeks to stop her face from smiling.

"Looks like I got you there." Serenity said with a grin.

"Anyway, Princess, we are home now, so if you don't mind, I'll be excused to my chamber now. I have a lot of work to do." Mercury said to Serenity.

"Fine, fine. What work do you have anyway? I thought you cleared everything up before we went to Earth." Serenity asked.

Mercury just smiled while walking away to her chamber. _To perfect her Terran, of course._

—


	4. Chapter 4: Stargazer

Everybody was at the Crown game center after school.

Ami and Makoto were talking to each other while Usagi was engrossing in Sailor V game.

"I loved seeing you play chess yesterday, Ami. I had no idea watching a chess tournament can be this excited." Makoto said to her dear friend.

"Too bad you lost to that guy, though. It was very close." Makoto commented. She hardly sees Ami lost at anything, be it studying, exam, game, swimming, or whatever. So the first time she saw her friend lost at something, she couldn't help but seeing it as an out-of-character event for Ami.

"He was really good, that's why. I think it was a good match. I learned a lot and I will continue to improve myself." Ami explained.

"You seemed a little distracted, though." Makoto wondered because usually her intelligent friend has a laser-sharp focus.

"You looked at the guy a lot, what's his name, Zachary?" Mako teased Ami.

"In chess, you have to read your opponent, Mako-chan. That was what I was doing." Ami defended herself.

"Are you sure? I didn't really see his face clearly because we were far away, but I could still see that he was quite handsome, right?" Makoto teased Ami.

"Oh lost again!" Usagi lamented.

"Ami-chan, Mako-chan, let's go watch a movie. The new romantic movie just came up. Naru-chan and Umino said it was very good." Usagi asked.

"I can't, Usagi. I have to go to the planetarium. Professor Anderson invited me to join him in observing the meteor-shower tonight." Ami answered.

"Also, Usagi, shouldn't you be watching a romantic movie with your boyfriend. You are not single like we are, so take advantage of it." Makoto teased Usagi.

"But Mako-chan, you're free, right?" Usagi asked.

"Actually, I promised Ami I would go to the planetarium with her, to be her bodyguard and walk her home" Mako answered. It's not like it's a big deal anyway. Ami's and Mako's apartments are in the same area.

"Oh well, you two have fun then. I will go see if Mamo-chan is free." Usagi waved good bye to the two girls.

—

At the planetarium, Professor Anderson welcomed Ami and Makoto.

"Glad to see that you can come, Mizuno. Tonight's meteor-shower is going to be amazing."

"Good evening, Professor Anderson. This is my friend Kino Makoto. We go to the same school." Ami introduced Makoto.

"Nice to meet you, Kino. If you are a friend of Mizuno, you might be a genius as well." Professor Anderson asked with a smile.

"Oh no, I'm not a genius like Ami. But I'm trying to learn from her." Mako answered.

Makoto noticed a boy with long brown hair looking into the telescope.

"Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce. Nate, come here for a moment. Mizuno, Kino, this is an exchange student from the US, Nathan Becker. He will be staying here for a few weeks." Professor Anderson said while gesturing Nate to get his eyes off the telescope.

Makoto and Ami were shocked when they saw Nate's full face.

_This can't be happening. He looks exactly like Nephrite. Am I the only one seeing this? _Makoto thought while looked at her friend, who had a similar surprised reaction. Makoto knew in that instance that Ami felt the same way she did.

"Hi. I'm Nathan Becker. But you can call me Nate. Nice to meet you all." Nate greeted the girls while extending his right hand for a handshake.

"Nate is a senior at high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mizuno and Kino here are students at Juuban middle school." Professor Anderson explained.

Makoto hardly heard anything after seeing Nate's face. But she still managed to give Nate a handshake.

While Nate and Makoto were shaking hands, Makoto felt a flash of her Silver Millennium memory with Nephrite.

_He's got to be Nephrite, right? _Mako wondered.

"Hm, Mako-chan, I'm going to discuss a few things with the professor at the library. Would you mind waiting here?" Ami asked.

"No problem, Ami." Mako answered.

Now that Mako was alone with Nate, she suddenly felt a little nervous.

"So Kino, are you interested in astronomy?" Nate broke the ice.

"Actually I just tag along with my friend. I do think stars and space are fascinating but I haven't really studied them a lot." Makoto shyly admitted.

"I love astronomy. Something about looking at stars makes me feel peaceful and exhilarating at the same time." Nate said.

Makoto must have stared at Nate too long.

"Is something wrong?" Nate asked.

"Hm, it's just that I felt like I may have seen you before." Makoto just decided to go for it and asked him directly.

Nate's thinking and said "I don't think so. This is my first time in Japan. Have you been to the US?"

"No. I must have imagined it then." Makoto responded slowly.

"A lot of people look similar. I'm sure I'm not an exception." Nate said with a smile.

_Oh no. You're unique. At least I know that much. _Mako thought.

Nate's using a telescope pointing out stars after stars to Makoto.

_He's really good at this. Just like Nephrite. _Makoto thought.

—

After they all watched the meteor-shower, Ami and Makoto left the planetarium and headed home.

"Ami-chan, did Nate remind you of someone?" Makoto asked. Even though she kind of figured out from her friend's reaction when they both met Nate, she still wanted to hear it directly from her friend.

"You mean, Nephrite?" Ami said.

Makoto nodded.

"What do you think, Mako-chan?" Ami asked back.

"I think he looks so much like Nephrite, and the way they talk is similar. They are both even passionate about stars and space." Makoto voiced her thoughts.

"Do you think it's …him?" Makoto asked Ami.

"I wasn't going to say anything, but now that you have similar feeling."

"Do you remember Zachary from the chess competition?" Ami asked.

"Yeah, why?" Makoto asked.

"I …have a feeling that he may be Zoicite." Ami confessed.

Makoto eyes got wide open.

"Now that you said it, Ami. I can totally see it. He actually looks like Zoicite." Makoto almost yelled.

"Keep it down, Mako-chan. It's already late." Ami said.

"Oh sorry." Makoto kept her voice down.

"How come you haven't told me about this before?" Makoto asked.

"I just thought that I might have imagined it." Ami said.

"For a second there, I thought I was imagining it too." Makoto admitted.

"Zac …doesn't seem to remember anything, though." Ami sadly told her friend.

"I don't think Nate remembers anything, either." Makoto said.

"So we can't really be sure if they are actually Zoicite and Nephrite. We just have the feeling?" Makoto asked.

Ami nodded.

"Could we please not tell anybody about this, at least until we know more? I don't want to burden anybody with just my… feeling." Ami asked.

_Well, it's just our feeling. But we are Senshi of Mercury and Jupiter, maybe our feelings mean something. _Makoto thought but held her tongue.

"Sure." Makoto responded. As much as she is curious, she agrees with Ami that it may not be in anyone's best interest to bring this up with the group, at least not yet. Why bother others with a baggage from their past lives and past battles when they were just starting to enjoy peace again?

"Just to let you know, Ami. Tomorrow I'm meeting Nate after school." Makoto said.

"What? Why?" Ami exclaimed.

"We were talking and he told me that he didn't know his way around the city. So I told him I could take him around." Makoto said.

"Oh Mako-chan, you're going on a date with a guy who looks like Nephrite. Isn't that difficult?" Ami asked.

"Of course, it's hard when I think that he might be Nephrite. But I'm curious, Ami. I want to find out more about him. I guess I am hoping to see if he's actually Nephrite or not." Makoto said.

"Be careful, Mako-chan. Call me if you need anything." Ami told her friend.

"You are talking to the strongest senshi, Ami. I can take care of myself." Makoto smiled.

"Yes, physically I know you can win any fight. But I mean emotionally, Mako-chan." Ami explained.

"Thank you, Ami. I will probably need you…soon." Makoto admitted.

—

_That Makoto girl was awfully pretty…and nice. _Nate thought while he's walking back to his apartment.

_I have seen many pretty girls, but none has made me kept thinking about them. Why is she different? _Nate pondered.

_I feel so warm and comfortable around her. _This thought surprised Nate himself because he usually does not open up to anyone this quickly. Sure, he's the life of the party once everyone gets to know him. But he generally prefers to keep some distance with strangers.

_I hope she didn't think I was too forward asking her out like that. _Nate regretted his action for a moment, but he knew it in his heart that there was no way he was not going to see her again. This warm feeling he had when he met her was too strong to be ignored.

Nate got to his apartment and set his bag down on the floor. His room was small and a little lifeless, just like any bachelor's apartment. But it doesn't bother him. He's only here for a few weeks. It's no use decorating anyway. However, there was a big poster of the planet Jupiter on his wall next to his desk.

_I think about you again today, Jupiter. I'm going to learn about you as much as I can while I'm here. _Nate thought. He already loves everything about space, but the planet Jupiter has always been the one most fascinating to him. He popped out the book on the planet Jupiter from his bookshelf and started flipping through even though he had done it thousands times before. But he always learned something new reading this, and the impulse he got today was so strong that he just had to read and think about his favorite planet again tonight.

—

The next day at 4 PM, Makoto was waiting in front of the planetarium.

_Oh crap! She got here before I do. Way too go, Nate. Real gentleman. _Nate thought

"Hi Makoto. Sorry I'm a little late." Nate rushed to see Makoto.

"No problem. I just got here." Makoto said.

"There was a lot of work today at the planetarium. Sorry about that." Nate apologized.

"Don't worry about it." Makoto waved with a smile.

_She's so nice. Is she going to kill me with that smile? _Nate thought

"So what do you want me to show you about the city?" Makoto asked.

"Well, I'm not really good at cooking. So if you can show me places to eat around here, that'd be great. For a student's budget, of course." Nate said with a chuckle.

"Sure, what kind of food do you like? There are some Western restaurants here, but I think most of the good ones are Japanese." Makoto explained.

"I like Japanese food. When I was in Cambridge, we love to eat sushi, although it's a little expensive over there." Nate said.

"There are more to Japanese food than sushi, you know." Makoto said with a grin.

"I'm ready to learn." Nate told Makoto. _As long as I get to spend time with you, I will try any food if I have too. _

—

After showing Nate several restaurants, Makoto introduced Nate to the nearby supermarket.

"Here is one of the best supermarkets around here. They have ready-made food sold here as well. So if you don't want to go to a restaurant, you can always stop by here. But you probably don't want to do that too often, though. Home-cooked food is better for your health." Makoto explained.

"Do you cook, Makoto?" Nate asked.

"Hm, it's actually one of my favorite things to do." Makoto said proudly.

_Wow! She's sweet, pretty and she cooks. How fantastic can this girl be? _

"I'd love to try your food sometime." Nate responded.

"I can show you how to make something easy. There are a lot of pre-made ingredients here. Come on, I'll show you." Makoto grabbed his hand and ran into the supermarket.

—

After arriving at Nate's apartment, they sat down at the sofa. Mako happened to see a copy of Astronomy Today on the coffee table.

"Why do you like star and space so much anyway?" Mako asked.

"Well, I want to be an astronaut." Nate answered.

"Wow, an astronaut!" Makoto exclaimed.

"It's just a dream, though. But I'm working hard to make it come true some day." Nate said.

"Isn't being an astronaut a little dangerous? It's like traveling into nothing." Makoto asked.

"Yeah, I suppose it is. But I love that part about being an astronaut. Going to where nobody has gone before. It's exciting.

_You are so brave. Just like the way you used to be. _Mako thought as she recalled her memories of General Nephrite.

"You're strong and intelligent. You'd make a great astronaut." Mako said.

"Why did you think I'm strong and intelligent." Nate asked.

_That's a great question to ask. I don't really know why I said that, either. You are not General Nephrite that I knew. _Makoto thought.

"Oh I just figured that you are studying with Professor Anderson, so you must be smart. And you look strong. So…" Makoto answered.

"I'll take that as a compliment then. Thank you, Makoto." Nate said with a smile.

"I'll get dinner ready." Mako tried to change the subject.

"I'll help you." Nate said while following Makoto to the kitchen.

—

"Oh my god, Makoto, this is delicious." Nate complimented her.

"It's just a simple curry and rice. It's no big deal." Makoto blushed.

"I always love your cooking. You are the best!" Nate said.

They both looked at each other at the same time.

_Why did he say that? Does he remember me? _Mako thought.

"I'm sorry I don't know why I said that. This is the first time I've tried your food." Nate wondered.

"Sorry maybe I studied too hard. My brain stopped working. Haha." Nate shrugged off.

_Is he starting to remember me? Even a little? _Makoto wondered.

Makoto sat down next to him and started eating.

"So Nate, what do you like most about space?" Makoto changed the subject.

"I like the stillness and mysteries of it. I like studying planets than stars, especially in our solar system. We still have a lot of learn about them." Nate explained.

"Out of all the planets in our solar system, I think Jupiter is the most fascinating." Nate said.

That line made Makoto stopped eating.

"You…like Jupiter?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah, I think it's the most interesting planet. I even have a poster, see?" Nate answered while pointing to the poster next to his desk.

_Can't believe I didn't see that when we walked in. _Makoto wondered.

"Why?" Makoto asked.

"Well, Jupiter is considered the biggest planet in our solar system, but it largely comprises of gas. So it's difficult to understand what's going on under that cloud of gas." Nate explained.

"I thought that what makes Jupiter so boring. It's big, but there's nothing there, unlike Venus or Mars that people find more interesting." Makoto said with a sad look.

"I disagree, Makoto. I think the fact that Jupiter is the largest planet makes it looks like the strongest, but in reality, Jupiter is gentler than its appearance." Nate explained.

"So you're really like Jupiter, huh?" Makoto asked timidly.

"I can't really explain it either, but I am drawn to Jupiter for some reason." Nate said.

_You said the same thing back in Silver Millennium. _Makoto thought.

It's becoming so difficult for Makoto to look at Nate now.

_You are too much like Nephrite, but you don't remember me. _Makoto had tears welling up. She felt rejected.

"It's getting late. I should get going." Makoto put the plate down and tried to grab her school bag.

"I'll walk you home." Nate offered.

"No, don't worry about it. I live not too far from here." Makoto hurriedly walked to the door.

"Oh ok. This is my number here in Japan. Hope we can meet again some time." Nate said as he quickly scribbled down his phone number on a small piece of paper.

Makoto received a note from Nate and nodded.

"Good night." Makoto said.

"Good night." Nate answered.

Once the door was closed, Makoto closed her eyes and tears coming down her cheeks.

_I had no idea it would hurt this much. He's as nice as he used to be, but he doesn't know who I am. _Makoto wiped off her tears and started walking home.

She opened her fist and looked at the note Nate just gave her. She smiled.

The note said "Call me. 111-233-432. Nate, Jupiter lover."


	5. Chapter 5: Conflict

Nate was looking out the window, staring into the night's sky. Dark grey clouds gathered in the sky, while the thunder's roaring away in the distance.

_The thunder's coming again. _Nate thought.

He loves the clear sky like any stargazer would, of course, but thunder and rain were surprisingly comforting for him. He thought about the dream he had had so many times before.

—

He was riding a horse through the lush forest in drizzling rain. He arrived at a small cottage deep in the forest, got off the horse, and greeted a beautiful tall girl in front of the cottage.

He couldn't see the girl's face clearly, but he could see that she wore a brown wavy pony tail.

"Good to have you back." The girl said as she took off his rain coat. "You look so handsome in the rain." She added.

"I've missed you, my lady." He said while embraced her.

"You must be starving riding a long way here. Come on in. I've made you dinner." the girl said.

"Your cooking is the best. But just so you know, I don't love you because you are a good cook. I love you because you care about me enough to prepare all these food for me." Nate said.

"It's the thought that counts. But lucky me, my lady also excels at cooking." Nate said and smiled at her.

"Stop flattering me. Let's go inside and make the best of our time together." the girl took his hand and led him inside the cottage.

—-

"Who are you?" Nate mumbled to himself.

The moment Nate met Makoto at the planetarium, he immediately thought about the girl in his dream. He had assumed that it was just one of those silly fantasies people have in their youths. He was not the type of guy who would be dreaming away about the girl that doesn't exist. But he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the vision in his dream manifesting right before his eyes. Makoto reminded him so much of the girl in his dream, her body, her voice, her manner, her smile.

_Maybe this is not a coincidence after all? _Nate wondered.

—

Makoto was back at her apartment. She dropped her bad and then watered her many many plants.

_Why does it hurt so much to see him again? Isn't it good that he doesn't remember? This is our chance to start anew. _Makoto wondered.

The memories of their time in the Silver Millennium came rushing back to her.

—

In the cottage deep in a forest on earth, Nephrite was meeting Jupiter. It was a usual night. They had been secretly meeting at this place whenever they could. But this was a much awaited meeting for them both.

"I'm so glad to see you again." Nephrite said as he embraced Jupiter.

"I'm more surprised that you still wanted to see me." Jupiter said.

"I know things between earth and the moon are really strained lately. A large group of Terrans has turned against Endymion, accusing him of treason. It's nonsense, of course, but it pains me to see the divide between our own people." Nephrite explained.

"We haven't been able to see each other in so long. I thought something terrible happened. I was so worried, Nephrite." Jupiter said.

"To be honest, I didn't tell the other shitennou that I'm still seeing you. Kunzite started to disapprove of us associating with the Moon Kingdom." Nephrite confessed.

Jupiter looked away with worry.

"What are you worrying about, my lady?" Nephrite asked.

"I am afraid what will happen if people know we are together. I can't risk the safety of everyone on the moon, for my personal reason." Jupiter said.

"Look, Jupiter. You are the strongest senshi. If your princess is trying to make things work with my prince, I don't see why we can't try to make it work as well." Nephrite said to Jupiter with a smile.

"It's not that simple, Nephrite. I have a duty. You have a duty. We are not in any position to do something just for ourselves." Jupiter said.

"I have dedicated my whole life to the Middle Kingdom. The only thing I want is to have the love of my life beside me. I'm sure Endymion will understand that." Nephrite said.

"You sound so confident. I love that about you, General." Jupiter said with a smile.

"But I don't know what I should do anymore, Nephrite. I'm a girl in love, but I'm also the guardian of the Princess and the Moon Kingdom." Jupiter said.

"You are Jupiter, the love of my life." Nephrite said while getting down on one knee and kissed her left hand and said "Jupiter, I have waited for you all my life and I'm not going to let anything ruin our love. Sailor Jupiter, will you do me the honor of being my bride?" Nephrite asked with a gleam of happiness.

Jupiter dropped her jaw. She didn't expect their relationship to come this far. With all the problems between earth and the moon, their love seems forbidden. "Nephrite, are you sure?" Jupiter asked.

"More than anything in the world…and the moon." Nephrite said with smile.

Jupiter smiled and said "Yes".

They embraced each other.

"I know the situation between earth and the moon worries you. But trust me, Jupiter. I will find a way for us to be together. I promise you." Nephrite said while loosened up his embrace and looked at Jupiter.

"We will make it work." Nephrite said.

"Yes, we will make it work." Jupiter responded.

—

Sailor Jupiter hasn't heard from Nephrite since then.

A few weeks later.

Jupiter was practicing martial arts in the training field when she heard Venus yelled "Jupiter come quick. The Terrans are attacking us."

Jupiter couldn't believe what she heard, but the senshi leader would never joke at a time like this. She ran after Venus to the front of the palace.

There, she saw the sight she would never have expected in a million years. There, stood in front of the palace were Nephrite holding his sword and shield, standing next to Kunzite.

There was no time for explanation. Everything was in slow motion. She saw Kunzite yelled something, and then Terran warriors suddenly started to run into the palace. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Nephrite killing Lunar guards left and right.

_This is not happening. _Jupiter thought.

"Nephrite, what are you doing?" Jupiter yelled.

Nephrite looked at her smugly. "Protecting my home from the evil of the Moon Kingdom." He said while swinging his sword at her. She moved away swiftly.

This isn't the man she knew. Nephrite would never kill any Lunarians. He promised her that. She looked into his eyes and didn't see the familiar gentle spark she's always seen. Instead she saw a terrifying look and chilled her to her bones.

_Still, I can't fight with you. I have to get you back to your senses. Explain it to me. _Jupiter thought while escaping his attacks.

Suddenly she saw Nephrite aiming his sword at Mercury, who was standing still with Zoicite's body in her hands. Mercury saw Nephrite just before his sword hit her, but it was too late. The sword hit Mercury's body and she fell to the ground.

Jupiter was shocked at the sight.

_This is it. You are not Nephrite I knew. _

The Terran army was raiding into the Palace with Nephrite making a way for the army. She decided to release her strongest attack to him, the man she used to love and was going to marry.

It was not difficult to kill Nephrite. She knew his greatest weakness. What was more difficult was the decision to do so but her duty was more important than love. She at least knew that much. Nephrite had fallen to the ground. He let go of the sword in his right hand and close his eyes. She never managed to see his familiar gleam of love that she's so used to. Tears were brimming in her eyes, but she didn't have time for grief. The Palace was in danger. Serenity was in danger. Sailor Jupiter went back to the battle to help her fellow senshi.

—

"I killed him, with my own hands" Makoto whispered to herself. Tears filled her eyes. All these bitter and sweet memories coming back to her like they just happened yesterday.


	6. Chapter 6: Decision

Makoto and Ami were sitting at their usual table at the Crown Parlor.

"You don't seem well, Mako-chan. Are you ok?" Ami asked.

"Can I ask you something, Ami-chan? Do you think we should just forget about what happened in the past?" Mako asked.

Ami paused, and then said "Are you thinking about the shitennou?"

Mako gave a small nod. Her eyes were gazing into the space.

"I am totally convinced that Nate is Nephrite. He still has some lingering memories about us that he doesn't even realize. But when I am with him, all I see are memories from the past life and when we fought with him." Mako explained.

"Do you wish that he could remember everything?" Ami asked.

"No, I actually wished that I didn't remember anything. It would have been much easier to start again as normal teenagers, right?" Mako asked.

"That may be so, but I'm actually glad to have my memories." Ami answered.

"Really? Why?" Mako asked.

"I'm glad to see Zoicite again. I'm glad to see that he's living a normal life. Despite everything that happened, I still care for him and think he deserves to have a chance at normal life. If I didn't have all those memories, I wouldn't have wanted to wish him well, Mako-chan." Ami answered.

"But don't you want to be with him again?" Mako asked.

"I don't know. As much as I would love to get to know him again, we are living in different worlds anyway. It's not like I will ever see him again. He lives in Germany. I live here. Maybe this is how things are supposed to be. Just to meet one more time and let it go." Ami explained

"But don't you want to start again with him?" Mako asked.

"Is that what you want to do, Mako-chan?" Ami asked her back.

Mako-chan sighed. "I was thinking that for a moment, but after I spent the evening with him, it was too difficult to remember everything."

"Are you going to see him again?" Ami asked.

"I don't know, Ami. He's staying here for a few weeks. I'll think about it." Mako answered.

"Mako-chan, we don't have to live in the past. Those memories are wonderful, but that doesn't mean we have to be bound by them now." Ami said and patted Mako's shoulder.

Mako looked at Ami. "You are so strong, Ami-chan."

Usagi, Rei and Minako joined Mako and Ami at the table.

"Why are you looking so serious, Ami-chan, Mako-chan? What are you talking about?" Usagi asked as she sat down.

"And Mako-chan, where were you yesterday? I thought we were going to study together at the shrine." Rei asked.

"Actually she wanted to know because we missed your study snacks yesterday, right Rei?" Minako looked at Rei.

"So that's why you missed me?" Mako said with a smile.

"Not just that, we missed you too. Even though your food is the best, we want you more than your food, Mako-chan." Rei answered.

"So next time, I don't have to bring any snack then?" Mako asked.

"Ahh, no, Mako-chan." Usagi said.

"If you don't bring any food, Usagi will skip the study sessions, for sure." Minako added.

"You too, Minako-chan. It's not like you are a better student than I am." Usagi said.

"Ok, stop you two." Rei said.

"But where were you yesterday, Mako-chan?" Rei asked when she realized her friend hasn't answered.

"I was helping out an exchange student from the U.S." Mako answered.

"A guy or a girl?" Minako asked curiously.

"It doesn't matter. I'm just showing him around like where to eat, shopping and things like that." Mako asked, not realizing that she accidentally answered her friend's question.

"So it's a guy. Were you on a date, Mako-chan? Tell us." Usagi and asked and poked her elbow and Mako.

"It's not a date, Usagi. He just moved here and didn't know his way around. So I showed him good restaurants and the supermarket. And I showed him how to make a curry rice at his place, that's it." Mako answered.

"You went to his place on the first date. That's kind of bold, Mako-chan." Minako said.

_Of course, it would seem that way. But if you see him, you'll understand. _Mako thought.

"Let's not talk about this, should plan our study for the upcoming exams" Ami changed the subject.

"I forget to tell you, Ami-chan. It was so cool to see you at the chess tournament." Usagi said.

"Speaking of which, did you feel something strange about the guy you were playing against?" Rei asked.

Ami looked a bit surprised and asked Rei "What do you mean, Rei-chan?"

"I sensed some weird energy coming from him." Rei answered.

"Weird energy, like the enemy?" Minako asked.

"No, not like the enemy. I can't really tell. It's just strange, that's all. I don't know what it is about. I just sensed something." Rei answered.

Ami and Mako looked at each other and nodded. This is a good time to let her fellow senshi know what's going on.

"Mako-chan and I have something to tell you." Ami said.

Usagi, Rei and Minako were listening intently. What Ami-chan said is usually important anyway.

"We think we have seen Zoicite and Nephrite." Ami said.

"What!?" The three girls yelled at the same time.

"What do you mean you think you've seen Zoicite and Nephrite?" Minako's eyes widened with surprise.

"Well, I sensed that Sato-sang, the guy I played chess with was Zoicite." Ami explained.

"And I felt that the guy I went out with yesterday was Nephrite." Mako added.

"How come you just told us now?" Usagi complained.

"We didn't want to say anything until we were sure." Ami said.

"And are you sure now that those guys are the shitennou?" Rei asked.

"Actually I have no proof, but I have a very strong feeling that he is Zoicite." Ami explained.

It's rare to see Ami relying on her feeling instead of evidence. So the girls went silent for a moment.

"At first, I just thought he might just look like Nephrite, but after spending some time with him, I'm pretty sure he's Nephrite." Mako explained.

"Did they apologize for what happened?" Minako asked.

"They didn't remember anything, not the past life, not the dark kingdom, nothing." Mako said.

"Then why are you so sure that they are the shitennou?" Rei asked.

"There were these…moments that reminded me of…what happened in the Silver Millennium" Mako answered.

Ami and Mako were deep in their thoughts.

"Are you ok, Ami-chan, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked with concern.

"I'm ok, Usagi-chan" Ami answered.

"Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.

"I think so, Usagi. It's just hard to be reminded of what happened in the past. That's all." Mako said with a sad look.

"Should we do something about this? Should we tell Mamoru?" Minako asked.

"I actually think that we should leave them alone for now. Zac is from Germany and Nate is from the U.S. Maybe we are not going to see them again. I don't want to bring back their memories unnecessarily" Ami said.

Minako realized that Mako looked distracted.

"Are you ok with that, Mako-chan?" Minako asked.

"I don't know, Minako. I really don't know." Mako answered slowly.

"I'm sure this is difficult for you, Ami-chan, Mako-chan. Why don't we just let you guys think about it for a while? This isn't a crisis. It's not like we have to do anything right now. But feel free to tell us if anything happens, ok? We are here for you." Rei said and winked at Ami and Makoto.

"Thank you everyone." Mako said and smiled to everyone.

Mako looked at Ami as she thought about what to do next.

_I wish I could let him go like you, Ami. But I don't think I can._ Mako thought.


	7. Chapter 7:Bond

Minako and Rei left Ami, Mako, and Usagi. They were walking along the street with no specific destination in mind.

"Can you believe Ami-chan and Mako-chan met Zoicite and Nephrite again?" Minako asked Rei.

"Yes. It's surprising." Rei said.

"I wondered if this means we are going to meet Kunzite and Jadeite soon." Minako said.

"You want to meet him, don't you, Minako-chan?" Rei asked.

"Of course. Don't you want to meet Jadeite again?" Minako asked.

"No. I don't want to see him ever again." Rei answered.

"Why did you say that? He was the love of your life." Minako asked.

"Exactly. Was, Minako, he was. Not anymore." Rei answered.

"I think it's going to be difficult to cut the ties with someone you a had strong bond with from the past life. Look at Usagi and Mamoru. There's no keeping them apart." Minako said.

"But that's them, right? I don't believe we have to make the same mistakes again. He was gullible and betrayed me. Yes we were lovers in the past lives, but we were also enemies." Rei said.

"But if you want to think that all the love in your past life doesn't count, Rei-chan, it does mean that all the fighting with him doesn't count as well. You can't just ignore all the good times and remember only the bad times." Minako said.

Rei knew that her friend was right, but still she couldn't possibly forget Jadeite. She wasn't the kind of girl who falls in love easily, but she did for him. And then he just betrayed and crushed her feelings. No, he was dead to her, literally or figuratively. She didn't care.

However, Rei knew all too well that her friend believed differently. Minako was madly in love with Kunzite. She would be willing to forgive him and start anew. That's what the Goddess of love does, she guessed. Minako was always full of love, and Rei admired her friend for that. But in this regard, she thought her friend was letting the shitennou off too easy. Nobody deserves a second chance after committing the crimes like what the shitennou did.

"So I assume you won't get involved with Jadeite if you see him again?" Minako asked.

Rei stared into space and was lost in her thinking.

"Even if he doesn't remember anything?" Minako asked.

"I think he would know what he did, Minako." Rei said.

"But you heard Ami-chan and Mako-chan, Zoicite and Nephrite don't remember anything about the past." Minako said.

"They may not remember everything, but it will be in their souls. They would feel it. They would feel the burden and the guilt of all they had done." Rei said.

Rei was not ready to forgive. The pain Jadeite caused cut her too deep. There's no way she would forgive him. Never.

—

Makoto was lying in bed, tossing and turning. It was 11.30 PM. She has gotten to bed since 9 PM. She didn't want to think about Nephrite, but unfortunately, her heart didn't agree with her decision. The memories of their time together kept flooding back with no sign of stopping. Makoto finally gave up on trying to sleep. She got up and made a pot of rose tea. And then she sat down at the Japanese coffee table in her apartment looking at Nate's handwriting.

_Call me. 111-233-432. Nate, Jupiter lover._

That's it. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to talk to him. She picked up her cellphone and dialed his number.

"Hello?" Nate picked up.

"Hi. It's Makoto. I'm sorry I called so late." Makoto said apologetically.

"That's alright. I'm still up waiting for the sky to clear." Nate said.

"You are watching the stars?" Makoto asked.

"Well, I'm trying to. The sky was not so kind tonight, though. I may have to try again tomorrow." Nate said.

"What's up, Makoto?" Nate asked.

"Um I…I don't really know. I'm sorry I called you so suddenly." Makoto said.

"No, it's great. I'm really glad you called." Nate said with a smile.

"Have you gotten used to your life in Tokyo?" Makoto tried to come up with some small talk.

"I'm getting used to it. Thanks to you showing me around the other day." Nate said.

"Good, I'm glad I was helpful." Makoto said.

"Listen, Makoto. Would you like to go out sometime?" Nate asked reluctantly.

Makoto paused for a moment and said "That'd be nice."

"Is this your cellphone number you're using?" Nate asked.

"Yes, it is." Makoto answered.

"Are you free this Saturday?" Nate asked.

"I think so." Makoto said.

"My friends and I are going to the theme park this Saturday. Do you want to come? You can bring your friends. We'll have a good day." Nate said.

_So this isn't a date, huh? _Makoto felt a little disappointed, but as she thought about how she almost couldn't hold back her tears while she was at Nate's, she realized that having friends with her may not be such a bad idea after all.

"Sure, I'll bring some friends. We'll see you then." Makoto answered.

"Great! I'll meet you in front of the park at 10 o'clock. I'm looking forward to seeing you again, Makoto." Nate said.

"Me, too. Um, I'll see you then." Makoto said and hang up the phone.

Makoto felt a mixed array of emotion. On one hand, she was so happy she was going to see Nate again. On the other hand, she didn't really know how she's going to act in front of him. She still couldn't decide on what to do. But at least now she could go to sleep knowing that she would see him again in a few days.

—

Around 9.50 AM at the front of the theme park.

"Are you sure you want us on your date, Mako-chan?" Ami asked.

"It's not a date, Ami. We are meeting his friends too, remember? Plus, I kind of want you here to…" Makoto paused.

"To help you decide what to do?" Rei chimed in.

"Something like that" Makoto said reluctantly.

"Do you know if his friends are handsome?" Minako tried to change the subject.

"Is that why you agree to tag along, Minako? For some cute guys?" Rei asked.

"Well, yeah, but also to support Mako-chan." Minako said while putting her arms around Makoto's.

"I'm surprised you're free today, Ami. I'd think you have cram school on Saturdays." Rei asked.

"Normally, I do, but…" Ami paused.

"I asked her to come with us. Ami already met Nate once, so I think it'd be good if she's here too." Makoto answered.

"So what's the plan here? Are we going to just have fun as normal girls or are we, as senshi, checking Nephrite out to see how he really is?" Minako asked.

"Honestly, I don't have a plan, Minako-chan. I'm so nervous already. Just help me out, will you?" Makoto said.

"I think we should just meet him and see how it goes." Ami said.

"Oh here they come" Makoto waved to Nate and his friends.

Nate waved back and walked over to Makoto.

Ami was surprised to see that Nate's friend was Zac.

"Hi everyone, I'm Nathan Becker, but you can call me Nate. And this is my friend." Nate said.

"Hi I'm Sato Zachery." Zac greeted the girl.

"Nice to see you again, Ami." Zac looked at Ami.

"You two know each other." Nate asked.

"Yeah, we played chess together in a tournament I told you about." Zac said to Nate.

"I thought you were back in Germany." Ami-chan asked Zac.

"I'm going home next week. Now I'm just enjoying my time in Tokyo." Zac answered.

"Ahm, don't forget about us." Minako said.

"I'm Aino Minako and this is Hino Rei." Minako introduced herself and Rei.

"Nice to meet all of you." Zac and Nate said.

"How did you two know each other anyway?" Rei asked pointing to Nate and Zac.

"We actually stayed in the same apartment. I know Zac's only here for a week, but we immediately hit it off." Nate explained.

"Yeah, the moment we walked past each other on the hallway we knew we would be great friends." Zac said.

"Don't make it sound so cheesy, Zac." Nate stopped his friend.

"But it's true though. We just feel like we've been friends for a long time. It's kind of weird, but it's true." Zac said.

_That's really not a surprise if you knew who you two were. _Ami thought to herself.

"So shall we go?" Minako suggested.

"Actually I have one more friend coming. I guess he's a bit late." Nate said.

"A guy that keeps girls waiting is not a gentleman." Rei said.

"Please forgive him. He had a taekwondo practice at school this morning. He should be here any minute now though." Nate said.

"Is he cute?" Minako asked Nate.

"Stop, Minako-chan!" Rei yelled at her friend.

"Haha that's alright. He's pretty nice, actually. He's a middle school student at a private school. He lives in our building too." Nate said.

"And here he is." Nate waved to his friend who's walking over.

Rei sensed a strong feeling as Nate's friend was approaching.

As he walked closer and closer, Rei thought to herself. _Jadeite._

"No way." Rei exclaimed and covered her mouth.


	8. Chapter 8: Venus's Plan

"Junichi, this way!" Nate said.

"Hi! I'm Yamada Junichi. Nice to meet you." Junichi greeted the girls.

"It's already late. We should hurry. Junichi, this is Makoto, Ami, Rei and Minako." Nate introduced the girls. But Junichi's eyes were already fixed on one girl.

Rei and Junichi looked at each other.

_She's so captivating. _Junichi felt his heart beating faster.

Rei caught his eyes and avoided his gaze. "Let's go." she said to everyone.

Junichi snapped out of his trance and followed the group to the park entrance, but his eyes were stilling lingering on Rei.

—

"Rei-chan, did you feel that Junichi is?" Minako whispered to Rei.

"Yes, I did." Rei said coldly.

"Aren't you gonna talk to him?" Minako asked quietly.

"I told you I don't want to see him again." Rei said.

"Fine. Then you don't mind if I talk to him, right?" Minako asked.

"What? Why do you want to talk to him?" Rei asked angrily.

"Mako-chan is with Nate and Ami-chan's with Zac. It's so boring walking alone." Minako explained.

"Do whatever you want." Rei said coldly.

Rei didn't understand how the senshi's leader can act so carefree when they just met three of the shitennou.

_You should never let your guard down, Venus. _Rei thought as right now she's in the vigilant mode. Three shitennou are here. Something bad's bound to happen sooner or later. Rei thought what Minako should be doing now is keeping an eye out for Kunzite. But then again, Rei figured that Minako probably always kept an eye out for Kunzite anyway.

"Hi Junichi. I'm Minako. Do you want to ride the rollercoaster together?" Minako asked Junichi.

"Hmm sure." Junichi was not used to a girl being so forward and he couldn't keep his eyes off Rei. But it seemed that Rei was unapproachable at the moment. Maybe it was best to talk to her friend first.

"I'm going to wait here. You guys go ahead." Rei said with a bored look.

"You don't want to ride the rollercoaster, Rei-chan?" Ami asked.

"No, I don't feel all that well. I think I shouldn't ride the rollercoaster. Don't worry. I'll get some ice-cream while waiting for you guys." Rei said and pointed at the ice-cream stand nearby.

"Well then, let's go. See you later, Rei-chan." Minako said while taking Juichi's hand and led him to the rollercoaster's waiting line.

"Is your friend ok?" Junichi asked Minako.

"She's fine. She just doesn't like this scary ride. But she likes to act tough, that's all." Minako said.

Junichi nodded, looking at Rei as she walked to the bench near the ice-cream stand.

_You just can't keep an eye off of her, can you Jadeite? This is just like the old days. _Minako thought.

_Well, if they are going to act like how they were before, then I know how to make things interesting. _Minako's coming up with a plan.

—

"Surprised to see you here, Ami-sang. I have no idea that you know Nate as well." Zac said.

"I just met Nate the other day at the planetarium. I know the professor he's working with." Ami explained.

"I'm really glad I get to spend more time with you before I go back to Germany." Zac said.

Ami's getting blushed. _Man, he has to go and say something like that._ _I'm going to die of embarrassment. Pull yourself together, Ami! Today is for Mako-chan. It's a weird coincidence that Zac is here too. But he will go home in a few days. This may be the last chance that we see each other. Might as well enjoy it. _

"Ami-sang?" Zac asked when he saw Ami lost in her thoughts.

"Oh sorry." Ami snapped back to the present.

"Do you come to the theme parks often?" Zac asked.

"I came here more often when I was younger, but I don't really have time since I started middle school. I believe this is the first time for me this year." Ami said.

"Wow. I don't know how you live so close to the theme park and not come here more often." Zac said.

"I am usually busy with cram schools. I don't have that much free time." Ami said.

"I heard that you are already the number one in your school. Why do you have to study so hard?" Zac asked.

"But I get to be number one because I study hard." Ami said.

"I like learning, too, Ami-sang. But I like to do it by experiencing things rather than just listening to lectures or reading books." Zac said.

"What do you like to do in your free time then?" Ami asked.

"Well, I usually travel. I like to travel a lot. Be with my own thoughts and write some of them down. I also like to go to the museums and theaters." Zac said.

"That sounds like fun." Ami said with a smile.

"If you go to Europe, I can totally show you around. You'll love it. There's so much history. It's amazing to just travel across the continent and learn about different cultures and people." Zac said.

"Maybe one day I'll go." Ami smiled.

"Please keep in touch. This is my contact information. I'd love to hear from you sometime." Zac said while scribbling his e-mail and address on a paper.

_You are making it too difficult to let you go, Zoicite. I love your adventurous and exploring spirit. That's how I felt in love with you in the first place. _Ami thought as she recalled how General Zoicite used to show her around the different communes of the Middle Kingdom. It was so much joy for her to learn about people on earth, their cultures, and the way they lived. Back then, most Lunarians believed earth was a savage place with primitive civilization, but Zoicite had proved them wrong time and time again.

_No, Ami, No. He doesn't remember any of that. I have to treat him as Zac, not Zoicite. _Ami reminded herself.

_But he looks so much like his own self. Even his personality and preferences are the same. How can I treat him differently than Zoicite? _Ami thought.

_Just enjoy it, Ami. This is the one chance to see him again, to make sure that he lives a normal life. Stop all the reminiscing. _Ami forced herself.

"Don't look so serious, Ami-sang. We're at the theme park." Zac said.

"You're right. Let's have fun and enjoy today." Ami smiled.

—

In the afternoon, while Rei, Minako and Junichi were relaxing on the bench near the lake, Nate and Mako were in a rowing boat with Zac and Ami in a separate boat not far behind.

"Do you want to switch?" Mako asked.

"No I'm doing ok." Nate answered while kept rowing.

"Are you sure? I'm not like other girls. I can row pretty well. We can switch if you are tired." Mako said with a smile.

Nate smiled. He knew that Makoto was not a typical girl. She looked strong and independent, but there was no way he would let this chance to show her his chivalry go to waste.

"So, Makoto, are you having a good time?" Nate asked.

"Yes, it was very nice. Thank you for inviting me and my friends." Mako said.

"I'm glad I invited you. Coming here with two other guys would have been weird." Nate chuckled.

"You just met Zac and Junichi, but you guys seem like old friends." Mako asked.

"Yeah, it's so strange. I just met both of them the other day but it feels like we've known one another for a long time." Nate said.

"How so?" Mako asked further.

"I don't know how to describe it. It was the same feeling I had when I met you, actually." Nate said.

"Oh, when you met me?" Mako asked shyly.

"Yeah, when I met you, I had this feeling like I have known you before. And not just knew you, but…." Nate stopped.

"But?" Mako asked.

"Nothing. It's just that I feel so comfortable with you. Same with Zac and Junichi." Nate said.

_He has the feeling about me and the other shitennou. But will he eventually remember everything? Should I even try to help him remember? _Mako pondered.

"I will run the risk of coming off a little cheesy here, but I just feel like I belong here with you." Nate said and looked into Mako's eyes.

Mako's blushed. She tried to look the other way.

"I don't know if I should ask you out because I'm only here for a few weeks. But if you are ok with that, would you mind going out with me?" Nate asked hesitantly.

_He's seriously asking me out? Oh my God! What do I do? _

Mako sighed and looked at Nate.

"I'm sorry I asked. I knew I shouldn't have. I won't be staying long, so you probably don't want to get involved with me." Nate said disappointedly.

"It's not like I don't want to go out with you. I'm just afraid that you will break my heart in a couple of weeks when you have to leave." Mako said.

"I understand." Nate nodded.

"But…" Mako said while Nate was listening intently.

"I believe we should live in the moment. I'd like to live my life with no regrets. Sure, there may be heartaches and pains, but I would like to live my life to the fullest and experience everything life has to offer." Mako said.

_I don't know if I can handle being with him after everything that happened, but I still want to be with him no matter what. Even if he's leaving in a couple of weeks, he does feel something about me. I want to enjoy this time together._

"So you'll go out with me?" Nate asked.

"I'd love that." Mako said. Nate smiled with excitement.

—

Rei, Minako and Junichi were sitting near the lake watching two couples having a good time in their own little worlds. Minako saw Junichi glancing at Rei periodically and get annoyed. She hated it when people have feelings for each other, but try to act cool and distant. The world is full of love, people! As the Goddess of love, nothing annoys her more than watching people not falling in love when they were both obviously wanted to.

_Now it's time for something fun. _Minako thought.

"It's boring sitting here. Let's go get our rolling boat, Junichi." Minako said while taking his hand.

"But we shouldn't leave Hino-sang alone." Junichi gave an excuse.

"You two go ahead. I'm ok here. I don't really like water anyway. It's a nice day. You two should go have fun." Rei said nonchalantly.

"See, Rei said it's ok. Let's go , Junichi." Minako led his hand to get him out of the bench. It was difficult for anyone to resist Minako. So Junichi reluctantly decided to follow her.

"We'll see you later, Rei-chan." Minako walked with her arm around Junichi's arm. and winked at Rei.

_For heaven's sake, what's she trying to do now? Not that I care anyway. _Rei thought.

Minako and Junichi got in a boat and rowed into the middle of the lake.

"Junichi, do you like Rei-chan?" Minako said out of the blue.

"What?" Junichi said.

"Come on, you've been staring at Rei-chan since you got here." Minako asked.

"No, no. I just…." Junichi tried to come up with words while Minako looked at him as if she knew what he had in mind.

Junichi sighed. "It's that obvious?"

"Yeah, you are not good at subtlety, are you?" Minako said.

"I don't know, but I thought I had seen her somewhere before." Junichi said.

_Does he remember Mars? _Minako wondered.

"Where did you think you have seen her?" Minako asked.

"I can't really pinpoint where, but I just had the feeling like I've known her for a long time. It's weird, right?" Junichi said.

_No, it's not weird considering what you guys have been through together. _

"Anyway, lately something like this happened to me a few times already." Junichi said.

"A few times?" Minako asked.

"Well, when I met Nate and Zac, I had the same feeling. That's why we get along so well. I feel like they are my brothers. Well, I do have an older brother living in Kyushu, but being with Nate and Zac just feels the same as being with my brother." Junichi said.

"Are you close with your brother?" Minako asked.

"Yes, we're very close. And for some reason, I felt that Nate and Zac are like my brothers too." Junichi said.

Minako was deep in her thought.

"Sorry for saying something so personal. I just feel like I can tell you anything." Junichi smiled.

"Well people are usually comfortable around me." Minako said.

"Is that your superpower?" Junichi asked.

"Maybe." Minako said with a grin.

"Listen Junichi, I don't want to break this to you, but Rei is not interested in relationships. So don't get your hopes up." Minako said.

"I wasn't planning to start a relationship with her." Junichi said.

"Well, I just thought you should know." Minako said.

"But may I ask why? Does she have a boyfriend?" Junichi asked.

_You are exactly the same, Jadeite. Want what you can't have. This is gonna fun. _Minako thought as she remembered how in their past lives, she was the one getting Mars and Jadeite together. He was fascinated by her mysteriousness. She pushed him away at first like she did with all other guys, but she finally gave in to his honest affection and relentless pursuit.

"No, she doesn't have a boyfriend, but she keeps her distance from guys." Minako explained.

"Do you know why?" Junichi asked curiously.

"I don't know. Maybe she doesn't want to get hurt?" Minako said and shrugged.

_You two will be together in no time. I should bet Rei on this. She'll say she doesn't want anything to do with him, but he will win her heart eventually._ Minako thought up her scheme to help her friend connect with the lover from the past.

—

After everyone getting off the boat, they were all discussing about where to go for dinner.

"I'm starving. Let's go get dinner." Minako suggested.

"Sure, do you know any great place around here?" Nate asked.

"How about we go to the ramen place over there? Won't that be nice, Junichi?" Minako said while being flirty with Junichi.

Rei looked annoyed but she didn't say anything.

_I don't care about him, but do you have to flirt with him, Minako-chan? Why don't you stop it already! _Upsetting thoughts came up in Rei's mind.

"That sounds great. Let's go everyone." Mako said while walking towards the ramen shop.

Everyone was walking towards the shop except for Rei.

"Rei-chan? Are you coming?" Ami asked.

Rei looked at Minako and Junichi. "I'll just pass on the dinner. I should get back to the shrine."

"Won't you stay with us, Hino-sang?" Junichi asked and looked at Rei.

_You always look at me like that honest, adorable eyes of yours. Not this time, Jadeite. I won't fall for that again._ Rei thought.

"No, I'm just gonna go. Bye everyone." Rei said and waved good bye. She started to walk away from the group.

"Is Rei-chan ok? She didn't seem so happy today." Makoto asked.

"She's just upset that she didn't have a date." Minako said playfully, still clinging to Junichi's arm.

"I'll make sure she's ok." Junichi let go of Minako and rushed to Rei.

"What was all that about, Minako-chan?" Makoto asked.

"The Goddess of love's at work, Mako-chan." Minako said and smiled at Makoto.

—

"Hino-sang. Did I do something to upset you?" Junichi asked.

"I…I'm not used to being around girls. If I did something to make you upset, I apologize. I'm so sorry, but please don't walk away." Junichi continued

Rei stopped without looking back.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Rei answered.

"But it seems like you are angry with me." Junichi said.

Rei gave a big sighed with her back still facing him.

"I guess I'm angry with myself." Rei said.

_I'm angry that I can't bring myself to hate you. _Rei thought.

Junichi walked to face Rei.

"Why are you angry with yourself?" Junichi asked.

Rei looked at him earnestly in the eyes. He looks so innocent and kind.

"That's….none of your business." Rei said and walked away.

"Hino-sang. I just met you, but I think you are wonderful. You're attractive, intelligent and you care about your friends. Please don't be mad at yourself." Junichi told Rei.

Rei facing back to Junichi and said "You don't even know me. How could you said something like that?" Rei asked.

"I don't know, Hino-sang, but I feel like I've known you before. And even if that was just a feeling I have, based on today, I can see that you are a nice person." Junichi said.

_How can you said something so nice? Don't you remember anything you did? _Rei thought.

Rei looked into his eyes and realized that Junichi didn't have any glimpse of regret or guilt. He didn't have the evil look like he did when he was with Beryl either. So this is why Ami and Mako-chan can't be angry with the other shitennou. Because they don't remember anything.

"Thank you for think so highly of me, but I think we shouldn't see each other anymore. Just consider today never happened." Rei said and walked away.

"Never happened, huh? How can I possibly do that?" Junichi said to himself.


End file.
